How To Choose a Pest Control Company
When hiring a pest control company, you want to make sure that you find the right one for you. Things you might consider include licensing and qualifications, treatment methods, years of experience, customer reviews, and cost.
Below, we dive into detail on each of these factors.
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Does the company have a valid license and permits to perform pest control?
Per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all pesticide applicators and those that supervise them need to be licensed at the state level. The EPA has established minimum competency standards, and the Georgia regulatory agencies handle the granting, maintaining, and revoking of licenses.
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Is the company a member of any professional organizations?
Obtaining additional optional certifications can help show that a pest control company is reputable. One of these is the GreenPro Service Certification. To obtain this certification, a company must prove that its methods are more environmentally friendly and that its employees receive up-to-date training. Other various certifications can be earned through QualityPro and similar trade organizations.
Pest control companies can also hold membership in professional organizations. Being a member of organizations like the National Pest Management Association (NPMA) or state-level organizations is not mandatory, but helps verify a company's reputability. The NPMA gives companies access to education, resources, and a network of pest professionals with whom to discuss methods and practices.
Professional Experience and Specialties
A company's website can tell you how many years it has been in business and what kind of pests it specializes in exterminating. Local reviews can also offer some insight into a company's experience dealing with a specific pest. If you can't find this information online, you can try reaching out to the company directly.
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Reviews and Recommendations
You can browse reviews and recommendations on social media or local review sites, view a company's rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), or check the status of its license through the Georgia licensing board.
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Cost of Services and Guarantees
Things like the size of your house, the type of pest being treated, your location, and other factors can all influence the price of pest control.
You can find out whether a company provides free on-site estimates (to determine if it fits in your budget), as well as what sort of guarantees it provides. Often, a company will provide a guarantee that if it does not take care of your pest problem, it will keep coming back until it does.
Safety and Treatment Methods
Keeping yourself, your family and your pets safe is an important consideration when selecting a pest control provider. You may also prefer one that uses environmentally friendly methods.
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Safety
Be sure to ask your pest control technician if they plan to use low toxicity or non-toxic pesticides, and if not, what precautionary measures they will have in place. Any pesticides that are not minimum-risk chemicals should be registered with the EPA. Your pest technician should be able to provide you with information about all pesticides that they are going to use.
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Treatment Methods
It is now common for companies to begin with more environmentally friendly options before using pesticides, following a framework called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). When using IPM, the following steps are taken:
- Identify the source of the pest problem and determine whether immediate action is needed.
- Determine the best and safest course of action.
- Use a combination of physical, cultural, biological, and mechanical controls to manage the pest problem.
- Use chemical controls only if needed, and always with other controls for effective long-term pest management.
- Assess the outcome and provide additional pest control as needed.